Garment closure construction



P 1963 P. L. [220 3,102,270

GARMENT CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 28, 1962 INVENTOR flay/Ina.

M gA/ z ORNEY a ME LosUR coss uc Another. object of thislinvention ment of the above character wherein both sides of the garment will be of like thereof.

Patented Sept. 3, i 1963 Manufacturing "Company, Waterbury, Corinna co 'lwf ration; ofConnecticut e Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,159. :1.Qlaims. (C,l. 296) i This invention relates to garments and 'pariicularly where snap fasteners are used for closing garment fronts.

Various typesof garments, such as cardigans, waist coats, jacketsand the like are normally left open but Y may; b'elclosed at the willof the wearer... Such garnien'ts have lresorted to qld conventional button and button hole fastening means. This typeoffastening means has been objectionable from an -appearance point of view because it is impossible to get a balanced and similar decorative effect on the opposite'side of the garment opening. The

' Cuse of-snap fasteners has also been objectionable because at least one of the parts of the snap fastener unit had to be exposed to viewif the garment was left in an open 5 position. i

the garment front material and underlying facing in proper alignment with the right front socket 19.

i 1 A series of tabs 22 are attached to the edge .of the left front 12 of the garment ,by the same stitching 23; that secures the left front hemmed edges together.- i To the outer free end of ,each of the tabs .22 is secured a fastener element complementary to the stud which in this case,

' It is one of the objects of my invention to construct an open front garment that can make use of snap fasteners and in which the meta l or objectionable part of the fastener may be concealed when the garment is open as effectively. as when closed.

appearance when the garment is left open.

is to provide a gar Other objects-and advantages of the invention will ap- I pear from the following description taken in conjunction l with the accompanying dra'wingwherein:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary use of onety-pe, of garment embodying my invention, here shown as a childis jacket;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the garment in open position; FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the garment iniclosed position with the lower right hand, flap turned up; and

I FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the garmenton an 1 ment.

is aprong ring24 and socket 25 of like construction to the socket 19 on the:rightfront 11. i

shownfboth'sides of the garment will have a like decora .tive appearance. Now, if it is desired to hold the garment ina closedposition as shown in FIG. 3, it is only necessaryto unfasten the sockets 25 and straighten out the tabs 2 2 to the position shown in FIG. 4, and then move the right front 11 of the garment to'overlap the left front 12 and snap'the sockets 19 upon the studs 20.

While Iv have herein described and upon the drawing shown an illustrative, embodiment of the invention, it is 'to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto a but may comprehend other constructions and arrangements without departing from the spirit of the inventoin and the scope of what is claimed, as for instance, instead of having a series of flexible tabs along one edge of the garment, a single flap could be employed-having'elements attached thereto complemental to the elements on the gar- What I claim is: 1. In a garment or the like having an opening, complementary male and female snap fastener elements attached to the garment on opposite sides of the opening, said elementshaving fastening portions facing inwardly along,

one side whereby they are normally concealed andfacenlarged scale such as might be taken along the line ,4--4 of FIG. 3 just before the garment is closed.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a childs I jacket 10 which comprises a right side 11 and a left'side 12 with a front opening 13. The right side It has a facing 14 suitably stitched to the underside of the; garment adjacent its edge and similarly, the left side 120f said garment likewise has a facing 15 stitched to the underside The means forfastening together the opening portion of the garment makes use of any conventional form of snap fasteners; As a means for reinforcing the garment,

and also to add a decorative feature tothe garment, there is a series of tabs 16, which may be of contrasting color tothat of the garment, seci1red to the seamed edge of the right front 11 by the same stitching '17 that secures the seamed edges together, The tabs 16 are then folded over upon the right garment front and held there in place either by stitching or by one ofltheelements of the fastener member which is here shown as an attaching prong ring 18 passing through the garment pliesand clinched to a socket member 19. V p i If it is desired not to have any portion of the fasteners showing on the front ofthe garment, itis possible to attach the prong rings to only thegarment front 11 and the underlying facing 14 and then have the tabs 16 overlie said prong rings and stitched in place. g i

1 Considering. now the fastener means for the left front 12 of the garment, which will be complementary to the socket 1 9, said fastener means consists of a series of studs 20 and post members 21 secured together through ing outwardly on the opposite side whereby they are normally exposed when the fasteners are .Zdiseng-aged; the improvement which consists of tabs attached to the garment in line with those fastener elements which are normally exposed, each tab having a fastener element complemental to those on the side to which the tabs are attachedso that the tabs may be folded back and snapped over said normally exposed fastener elements in order to conceal them when the garment is open. 1

2. A garment construction having front portions divided I by an opening extending the full lengthof said garment,

a snap fastener element attached to one of thefront portions of said garment adjacent the edge defining the opening, a complemental fastener element attached to the opposite front portion of said garment adjacent its edge, a tab attached to one of the edges of said'ga'rment in I line with one of the fastener elements, and another fastener element secured to said tab extension, said latter element being complemental to the fastener element on that. portion of the garment to which the tab is attached whereby said tab may be folded over upon its adjacent garment portion and releasably held in place by said complementary snap fasteners to conceal the fastener elements which are normallyexposed on that portion of the garment to which the tab is attached :when the garment is in open position.

3. A garment construction having first and second front portions divided by an opening extending the full length of said garment, a tab extension attached to an edge of i said first front portion and passing through said overlapped tab extension to secure the latter to the face of i ,said front portion, a complemental, fastener'element attached to the second front portion adjacent its edge, a

If the garment is tobefworn in an open position, such 1 p as shown in FIG. 2 and not havethe stud 20' exposed, itisonlynecessary tOrfOld the tabs 22 over upon the left fron and snap the sockets25 upon the studs 20. L As second tab extension attached to the second front portion in transverse alignment with said first tab and adapted to normally lie in a common plane with said second front portion, and another fastener secured to said second tab extension, said latter element being complemental to the fastener element on said second portion whereby said second tab extension may be folded over upon said second front portion releasably held in place by said complementary snap fastener element to conceal the fastener element on said second front portion when the garment is in an open position.

4. A garment construction as defined in claim 3 wherein a row of tab extensions and complemental fastener elements are secured along the opposite edges of the garmen opening. 7

5. In a garment or the like having an opening,- complementary male and female snap fastener elements attaehed to the garment on opposite sides of the opening,

said elements having fastening portions facing inwardly along one side whereby they are normally concealed and facing outwardly on the opposite side whereby they are normally exposed when the fasteners are disengaged; the

'mentar'y to those on the side to which said flexible supporting means is attached so that said supporting means may be folded back and snapped over said normally ex posed fastener elements in order to conceal them when the garment is open.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,038,165 Gross June12, 196-2 FOREIGN PATENTS 387,708 Great Britain Feb. 13, 1933 

1. IN A GARMENT OR THE LIKE HAVING AN OPENING, COMPLEMENTARY MALE AND FEMALE SNAP FASTENER ELEMENTS ATTACHED TO THE GARMENT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE OPENING, SAID ELEMENTS HAVING FASTENING PORTIONS FACING INWARDLY ALONG ONE SIDE WHEREBY THEY ARE NORMALLY CONCEALED AND FACING OUTWARDLY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE WHEREBY THEY ARE NORMALLY EXPOSED WHEN THE FASTENERS ARE DISENGAGED; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS OF TABS ATTACHED TO THE GARMENT IN LINE WITH THOSE FASTENER ELEMENTS WHICH ARE NORMALLY EXPOSED, EACH TAB HAVING A FASTENER ELEMENT COMPLEMENTAL TO THOSE ON THE SIDE TO WHICH THE TABS ARE ATTACHED SO THAT THE TABS MAY BE FOLDED BACK AND SNAPPED OVER SAID NORMALLY EXPOSED FASTENER ELEMENTS IN ORDER TO CONCEAL THEM WHEN THE GARMENT IS OPEN. 